CONTROVERSIAL plans which would have left "vulnerable" schools in Nuneaton coping with heavy budget cuts have been shelved.

Nuneaton-based June Tandy, the leader of the Labour group at Shire Hall, has welcomed the news - and believes her group's opposition has forced the controlling Conservatives into a U-turn.

Cllr Tandy, who represents Attleborough, says the ruling Tories have been forced to back-pedal in the wake of a furore sparked by the proposed re-distribution of school grants.

The scheme was to be put to a vote today at a cabinet meeting at Shire Hall.

But the council has now announced it is going back to the drawing board and will come forward with further proposals in the New Year.

The changes were intended to produce a fairer system of funding, with allocations to schools more evenly reflecting pupil numbers, special needs and levels of deprivation.

But Labour opposition councillors argued many schools in deprived areas and primary schools would lose vital funding for teachers, computer equipment and other essential resources.

Alan Farnell, the county council leader who represents Nuneaton's Weddington area at Shire Hall, said: "At the request of the schools forum and a number of individual schools, we have been reviewing the schools funding arrangements.

"Our initial consultation (with schools) has highlighted the complexity of the draft formula and we want to ensure that we can adequately address concerns raised before any cabinet decision is made.

"We are looking at the possibility of a further in-depth review and a timescale for this process will be promulgated in the New Year."

Under the proposals, Nuneaton's Manor Park Community School and George Eliot School would stand to lose £5,000 between them.

But others, including Hartshill School and Etone School, would have shared an additional £100,000.

Cllr Tandy, the Labour group leader said: "It is my view that this withdrawal and re-think is because Labour members made their views quite clear that they would make every effort to safeguard some of our most vulnerable school's budgets.

"I made it quite clear that if the Conservative cabinet agreed these proposals then that decision would rest with them and we would do all we could to ensure that head teachers and parents were made fully aware of where the responsibility lay for the cuts to school budgets.

"It therefore came as no surprise to learn that the Conservatives had decided to do a major U-turn and ditch the report going to cabinet."